Kia Stinger joins Queensland Police fleet
Twin-turbo liftback gets its badge and gun up north.
The Queensland Police Service has confirmed the arrival of a new Road Policing Command vehicle, this week officially adding the Kia Stinger V6 to its fleet.
Where the New South Wales Police turned to the BMW 530d and Chrysler 300 SRT Core for its post-Commodore V8 fleet, Queensland is putting its faith in the big, rear-drive Korean lift back. Victoria is also using diesel BMW 5 Series' for its new Highway Patrol vehicles, although there's no guarantee the Stinger won't figure on the fleet at some point.
With 272kW of power and 510Nm of torque from its 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6, the Stinger is close to a perfect match for the Commodore SS and its naturally aspirated V8 engine's outputs.
Police have been testing the Stinger since late last year, but it's officially been handed its badge and gun this week, after an "extended assessment program" in the hands of officers. A fleet of 50 cars will be delivered before the end of 2018, all outfitted with the necessary paint, lights, and technology like numberplate recognition.
“It was not a big step at all once we had begun the investigation process,” said Mark Ryan, Queensland Police Minister.
“Reading what the experts had to say, and seeing how efficiently the Stinger was changing minds and perceptions once people had been exposed to it … it was not a difficult decision.
“You often hear Police Ministers talking about providing the best equipment for those at the coal face. In this case I truly believe we have been able to do that.”
Kia says the Stinger is being evaluated by other Australian police forces, as they look to replace the locally-built Commodore and Falcon as Highway Patrol cars.
2024 Toyota BZ4X FWD review
0
